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awe/g (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

e R. S. GILLES PI'E. MEANS FOR SINKING WALL OR OTHER SUPPGRTINGGOLHMNS No. 590,680. Petented Sept. 28,1897."

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

S. GILLESPIEQ MEANS FOR SINKING WALL OR OTHER SUPPORTING COLUMNS.

Patented Sept. 28,1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD S. GILLESPIE, OF NEWV YORK, N. Y. I

MEANS FOR SINKING WALL OR OTHER SUPPORTING COLUMNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 590,680, dated September 28, 1897.

I Application filed July 3, 1896. Serial no. 598,019. (No model.)

To (L whom it may (.oitenr-lt. A

Be it known that I, RICHARD S. GILLESPIE, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York; have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Sinking lVall or other Supporting Columns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates particularly to driving or sinking tubular or other columns perpendicularly'into the earth by the action of hydraulic jacks or rams until the columns reach the required depth to constitute a permanent or temporary support for the erection of a building or other structure or for underpinning purposes or for providing a subbase or subfoundation for the wall of an existing building or other structure to enable another building or structure to be safely erected beside or contiguous to the old one, as described in Breuchauds Letters Patent No. 563,130, issued June 30, 1896. According to the invention described in the patent mentioned the columns are driven or sunk directly under a building-wall orother structure through the medium of hydraulic or other jacks acting on the columns and engaged in some suit able manner with the'lower portion of the wall, the superincumbent weight of which resists the pressure of the jacks in driving or sinking the columns perpendicularly into the earth. It is not feasible under all circumstances and conditions to utilize the superincumbent weight of the building-wall or other structure as a means for resisting the jack-pressure while the columns are being driven or sunk, and, further, it is sometimes desired to drive or sink the columns at places or points where no building or other structure exists which can be utilized as the medium for resisting the pressure of the jacks in sinking or driving the columns.

The present invention has for its object to extend the usefulness of the Breuchaud system and to drive or sink the columns by hydraulic or other jacks without the necessity of connecting them with an existing or already-erected building or other structure,

whereby the columns can be conveniently driven or sunk perpendicularly into the earth at any place or point or wherever it is desired to provide a powerful support for a new building or a temporary or permanent subbase or subfoundation for an existing building or other structure or fol-sustaining needles used for underpinning purposes. These objects are accomplished in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a side elevation of an apparatus embodying my invention and represented as in the act of driving a wall-supporting column directly under the wall of an existing building. Fig. 2 is a detail elevation of a portion of the apparatus, looking in the direction of the arrow, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a side elevation similar to Fig. 1, showing a modification of the invention.

In order to enable those skilled in the art to make and use myinvention, Iwill now describe the same in detail, referring to the drawings, wherein The numeral 1 indicates a pressure-resisting column which-is buried in the earth by driving or sinking it thereinto in any desired manner. I prefer to sink this column through the medium of the well-known water-jet, by which tubular structures are sunk by the action of the water loosening or softening the earth and permitting the structure to be readily pressed downward. The pressure-resisting column, however, may be driven or sunk by a hydraulic ram or any other apparatus or machine suitable for the purpose.

The press ore-resisting column is preferably in the form of a hollow cylinder, but it may be of any desired form or shape in cross-section,and it may be made in a single piece or it maybe made of sections or short lengths successively connected together during the time the column is being driven or sunk into the earth. The upper end of the buried column, which projects more or less above the surface of the earth, is constructedwith a fixed flange, collar, or ring 2, to which is bolted or otherwise firmly secured a'similar flange, collar, or ring 3, fixed to the lower end of what may be termed a secondary pressure-resisting column 4,which at its upper end supports a horizontally-arranged beam 5, one or more, designed to serve as an abutment for a hydraulic jack or ram 6, so that the latter can be utilized to drive or sink a Wall-supporting column 7 perpendicularly into the earth directly under the lower portion of a building-wall 8, as will more fully hereinafter appear. I prefer to employ several of the horizontally-arranged beams and to construct them in the form of iron I-beams; but obviously the cross-sectional shape of the beams can be largely varied, and a single beam may be used instead of several beams, as represented in the drawings;

The beam 5, one or more, rests at or near the middle of its length upon the upper end of the secondary column 4, and one end of the beam, as herein shown, extends into a recess made in the lower port-ion of the build ing-wall, so that the jack or ram 6 can abut the under side of the beam and serve to drive or sink a column 7 into the earth directly in line with the wall 8. The other end of the beam 5 may rest upon the upper end of a post or upright 9, one or more; butthis is not illdispensable, and, if desired, it can be omitted.

The base portion of the secondary column 4 is somewhat expanded, as at 10, and to this expanded portion are pivotally or otherwise secured sets of coupling-links 12, each set comprising two links arranged at opposite sides of the secondary column and connected at their upper ends by cross tie-bolts or connecting-pins 13, designed to bear against the upper side of the beam or beams 5 and to hold the latter down upon the secondary column and against any upward motion during the time the hydraulic jack or ram is operating to drive the wall-supporting column '7.

The pressure-resisting column 1 is driven or sunk perpendicularly into the earth a distance suflicient to enable it to successfully resist the tendency of the jack or ram to withdraw the column during the operation of the jack or ram in driving a wall-supporting column. If necessary, owing to the condition of the earth or for other reasons, the pres sure-resisting column may be composed of a series of columns driven or sunk into the earth in juxtaposition to each other, so that they can be surmounted by the secondary column 4, one or more, and horizontally-arranged beam or beams 5.

The wall-supporting column 7, as shown, is made in sections, which are successively driven into the earth in substantially the same manner as in the patent hereinbefore.

drive the column-section, after which the next column-section is attached to the upper end of the first driven section, and the second section is operated upon by the jack and driven or sunk perpendicularly into the earth the same as the first-mentioned sect-ion. This operation continues until the number of column-sections are driven or sunk to produce a column which reaches bedrock or other firm stratum or a depth which will. produce suflicient frictional resistance for the purpose of supporting the wall of a building, and thus provide the wall with a subbase or subfou ndation.

In drivinga wall-supporting column 7 the jack pressure in an upward direction is resisted by the horizontally-arranged beam 5, which, as before stated, is held down upon the upper end of the secondary pressure-resisting column through the medium of the coupling-links, so that it is possible for the jack to exert powerful force in driving or sinking the column section by section without depending on the superincumbent weight of the building-wall to resist the pressure of the jack or ram. After the desired number of columns 7 has been driven or sunk perpendicularly into the earth they may be utilized for different purposes, but are chiefly designed to constitute a subbase or subfoundation for the wall of an existing building, so that it is possible to excavate below the original foundation of the building for the purpose of erecting a new building beside or contiguous thereto.

In practice after the columns 7 have been properly driven or sunk a connection is made between the upper ends of the columns and the base portion of the existing building-wall or other structure, which connection may be of any suitable form and of any suitable material, such asa filling of brick or stone. By this means the columns become a permanent subbase or subfoundation for the existing wall, and the latter will be properly supported during the time excavations are being made for the erection of an adjoining building or for any other purpose. The particular purpose for which the driven or sunk columns 7 are used is not an essential part of the present invention,and,as hereinbet'ore referred to, these driven or sunk columns may be used either as a permanent or temporary support or for underpinning purposes.

In the modification seen in Fig. 3 the corn struction, arrangement, and operation of the buried pressure-resisting column 1, secondary column 4:, surmounting the same, coupling-links l2, and horizontally-arranged beam or beams 5 are the same as described with reference to Figs. 1 and 2; but in this examplc the opposite ends of the beam or beams 5 are utilized as abutments for hydraulic jacks or rams 14:, designed to drive or sink two columns 15 and 16 at different places or points. The two columns can be driven or sunk simultaneously,if desired. The columns 15 and 16 are constructed and driven substantially the same as described with reference to the wall-supporting column 7, (illustrated in Fig. 1,) and after they are driven or sunk they may constitute temporary or permanent supports for the walls of a building or for any purpose for which it is desired to use them in the" erection of a building or other structure.

In order to render the apparatus described and shown susceptible of driving or sinking columns at different points while the pressure-resisting column is buried at a fixed point in the earth, I make the upper end portion of the apparatus rotatable, so that it can be turned, and thus place the end or ends of the horizontally-arranged beams in any required position to drive or sink a column at any point in a circular path about the buried pressure-resisting column.

The rotating or turning movement of the upper portion of the apparatus is effected in a very simple manner by swiveling the lower end of the secondary column 4 to the upper end of the buried column 1, and this is best effected by providing the lower end of the secondary column 4: with a cylindrical gudgeon or journal 17, fitted into the upper end of the pressure-resisting column 1 in such manner that if the bolts connecting the flanges, collars, or rings 2 and 3 be withdrawn the portion of the apparatus which is above ground can be rotated or turned the desired extent, after which the bolts may be replaced to rigidly connect the parts together.

An important feature of my invention resides in the fact that the wall-supporting columns 7 can be driven or sunk at anyplace or pointiwithout reference to the presence of a building-wall or other structure the superincumbent weight of which must be depended on to receive the pressure of the hydraulic or other jacks used in driving the columns. In this respect my invention extends the usefulness of the Breuchaud system and renders it feasible under any or all circumstances or conditions to drive or sink the supportingcolumns without depending upon the superincumbent weight of a building-wall or other structure as an abutment to resist the upward pressure of the jacks employed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is l 1. The combination, in an apparatus for driving wall-supports, of a tubular pressureresisting column driveninto the earth, a support connected with the upper end of said tubular colu mn,ahorizontally-arranged beam mounted upon said support and extended to serve as an abutment for a hydraulic jack or ram to drive wall-supporting columns perpendicularly into the earth, and connections between said support and said beam for holding the latter against the upward pressure of the jack or ram while driving a wall-supporting column, substantially as described.

2. An apparatus for driving or sinking columns perpendicularly into the earth, consistthe earth, a secondary column surmounting the same, a horizontally-arranged beam, one or more, supported by the secondary column and extended to constitute an abutment for a hydraulic or other jack designed to drive a column into the earth, and coupling-links con- 8 5 nected with the secondary column and'engaging the beam or beams to hold the same against the pressure of the jack while driving a column, substantially as described.

4. An apparatus for drivingor sinking 001- 0 umns perpendicularly into the earth, consisting of apres'sure-resisting column buried in the earth, a horizontally-arranged beam, one or more, surmounting and sustained by the pressure-resisting column and extended to serve as an abutment for a hydraulic or other jack designed to drive a column into the earth, and coupling-links which engage the horizontally-arranged beam or beams and hold the same against the upward pressure of the jack while driving a column, substantially as described.

5. The combination, in an apparatus for driving or sinking columns perpendicularly into the earth, of a pressure-resisting column buried in the earth, a secondary column r0- tatably mounted on the upper end portion of the buried column, a horizontally-arranged beam, one or more, supported by the rotatable column and serving as an abutment for a hydraulic jack or ram designed to drivewallsupporting or other columns into the earth, and suitable means for holding the beam or beams against the upward pressure of the jack or ram while driving the columns.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses. Y

RICHARD S. GILLESPIE. Witnesses:

ALBERT H. NORRIS, THos. A. GREEN. 

